Various types of equipment provided with liquid crystal displays, such as digital cameras, have been becoming widely used recently. However, the liquid crystal displays have image-displaying areas vulnerable to damage by shock, resulting in losing a displaying function. To solve such problem, JP 2003-302620A discloses, as shown in FIG. 11, a liquid crystal display comprising a protective cover 100 comprising a frame 32 having an internal, annular flange 30 and a transparent substrate 10 supported by the internal, annular flange 30, the transparent substrate 10 being opposing an image-displaying area 20 of a liquid crystal panel 21. However, because this liquid crystal display with this structure has a space 50 between the transparent substrate 10 and the image-displaying area 20, incident light rays X are reflected to light rays X1 and X2 by at an interface between a front surface of the transparent substrate 10 and the outside air layer, and at an interface between a rear surface of the transparent substrate 10 and an air layer inside the space 50, resulting in decreased image visibility.
It has thus been proposed to subject a transparent substrate for protecting a liquid crystal display to an anti-reflection treatment or an anti-glare treatment. For instance, the formation of a low-refractive-index, anti-reflection coating, for instance, a thin layer of magnesium fluoride, etc., on the transparent substrate can reduce reflectance. Also, the anti-glare treatment, for instance, blasting, etc., forms fine raggedness on a surface of the transparent substrate, resulting in obscuring reflected image by light scattering. It has been found, however, that a transparent substrate provided with a known anti-reflection coating fails to sufficiently suppress the surroundings from being visible on the transparent substrate. On the other hand, the anti-glare treatment makes the transparent substrate look white when electric power is shut off, resulting in poor appearance. Particularly an anti-glare-treated front surface of the transparent substrate is likely to have dust, stains, scratches, etc.